According to research, canids have been on Earth for approximately 30 million years. There are currently 36 species of canids, including the dog we have come to know, Canis lupus familiaris. Our canine companion was likely developed from the gray wolf out of the various wild dog species. 

There are three reasons why the gray wolf is the most likely candidate. The first being this type of wolf lives in a family similar to ours. They have a need for a pack which would have been particularly important for dogs who had been kicked out of their ‘wolf pack.’ 

The domestication of the wild dog is documented worldwide with confirmations in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America. The gray wolf is the only canid species known to live in all areas.

When comparing DNA, the gray wolf and the domesticated dog have nearly identical genetic profiles. Yes, even the Pug lying on the rug in the dining room has a similar genetic makeup.

There is disagreement among geneticists, behaviorists, and philosophers over the domestic dog's ancestry. The most recent scientific DNA study of the wolf reveals that the DNA profiles of the modern dog are most similar to the DNA profile of the Siberian wolves from 13,000 to 23,000 years ago. However, the ancestry from at least two wolf populations still exists in the modern dog. This study proposes two scenarios:

Two independent domestication events from the eastern and western wolves occurred, and the two groups later merged.

Single domestication of dogs from the eastern wolf was followed by crossing breeding with western wolves as they arrived in southwestern Eurasia. 

Additional DNA studies will be needed to truly reveal the modern dog's source.

There are three main hypotheses on how dogs became ”man’s best friend.” 

One theory involves a female wolf who was not the dominant breeder leaving the pack in order to protect her own litter and find comfort among humans. This is thought to be consistent with both human and wolf behavior. A wolf pack can only care for one litter of pups at a time due to limited resources. When the mother wolf’s puppies were about to arrive, they may have sought out humans for meat scraps. 

The pups that were raised near humans either remained with them or created their own wolf pack. Other young wolves may have joined humans and reaped the benefits. Humans selected pups for breeding based on how tame they were, their hunting ability, and how responsive they were in this scenario. 

Another theory involves man abducting wolf pups and selecting the tamest ones to breed and hunt beside. 

The most probable explanation is that wolves and humans are connected because of wolves' tendency for scavenging and because both people and wolves can benefit from one another when hunting. As man continued to encounter the wolf, they noticed the wolf would respond to social cues. They would respond to gestures or differences in their tone of voice. Humans began to understand the dog's language; barking, growling, whining. They began to understand one another. The benefit of understanding one another is the reasoning behind the human-dog bond we share today.

As humans recognized dogs' hunting and guarding skills, they began to breed dogs with the most appealing skill sets. The physical traits of a fast dog were desired for hunting whereas large dogs were better for guarding and protecting territory. 

Ancient art shows various breeds developing over time. About 7,500 years ago, there were portraits painted of generic village dogs on pottery. Shortly after, the dogs in art began to resemble dogs we know today including the Afghan Hound and Saluki. Art done by the Egyptians 4,500 years ago showed dogs that resemble Basenjis, sighthounds, and mastiffs with their human counterparts.

Saluki and Afghan Hound from the Middle East

Chow Chow, Lhasa Apso, Pekingese, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, and Tibetan Terrier from China

With the creation of breed standards and the recording of pedigrees by the English Kennel Club in 1873, selective breeding of the breeds we know today began.

There are more than 450 breeds of dogs known worldwide today. They are commonly classified into seven separate groups based on their individual characteristics. The seven dog groups include Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding.

There ended up being too many dogs classified into the working group, leading to a further separation into working and herding breeds. 

Dogs that aren’t easy to categorize are either placed in the Toy group or the Non-Sporting group. 

Dog breeds in the Sporting Group have been bred as hunting dogs, specifically bred to locate feathered game, like ducks. There are four general types of dogs in the Sporting Group; retrievers, pointers, setters, and spaniels.

As their name entails, retriever breeds were bred to retrieve wild game, like waterfowl. They are excellent swimmers due to their webbed feet with water-resistant fur. They are eager to please and tend to be solid listeners. Those that aren’t used for hunting may be involved in drug or bomb detection, service dogs for the blind or hearing impaired, or search and rescue dogs. 

Birds that nest in the grasslands are hunted with setters, spaniels, and pointers. The setter breeds get their name from their tendency to crouch, or "set," when they come across prey.

Spaniels are known for their silky, wavy hair and the feathering that comes from their ears, legs, chest, and tail. Hunting dogs were used, and are still used, to flush prey out of dense grasses. There is a wide variety among spaniels ranging from the English Springer Spaniel to the Cocker Spaniel. Each individual spaniel type was bred for a specific hunting environment.

Pointers were bred to "point" birds or alert hunters to the location of game, hence their name. The Pointers halt, freeze and direct their nose toward their prey.

The Hound Group is made up of breeds that were bred to hunt mammals. There are two types of hounds: those that can see and those that can smell.

Sighthounds were bred to be fast so they could catch fast animals like rabbits and deer. Their middle toes are longer to help them stay on their feet and move quickly. The sighthound's speed is also aided by the way its body is shaped. The sighthound has better sight partially due to a long neck and jaw.

Scent hounds are trained to find their prey by following their nose.  The scent hound is not as fast or agile as the sighthound. Instead, it has been bred to be able to run for long periods of time. They have large snouts, and their nostrils are deep and open. Their jowls, which are loose and wet, help them pick up scent particles. Their long ears help them find odor by focusing the scent on their noses.

The Working group has a diverse set of breeds with different characteristics.  Breeds in this group were made to help humans guard, protect, pull carts and sleds, and rescue people in different situations. The Working Group is intelligent and strong with high stamina. Boxers, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Akitas, Anatolian Shepherds, and Alaskan Malamutes are among the most common breeds in this group.

Terrier Group dogs were originally bred to hunt rodents and other pests and go into their burrows. Long-legged dogs were used to dig out pests instead of rushing into their burrows. Today, these traits were bred into terriers, and dog parents may find the traits they were bred for frustrating, including digging, chasing, and barking.

The "bully" terrier breeds were made for cruel events like dogfighting and taunting bulls. Over time, bulldogs and different types of terriers have been crossed to make bull terriers. Most of the time, they are loyal, affectionate, and loving dogs, but because dogfighters don't know how to breed them well, they have become unpredictable and aggressive in some cases. 

Due to their strong desire to chase prey, their predatory behavior is easily set off by smaller dogs, cats, and other small pets that move quickly, as well as by children or cars. Because of this, these breeds have more emphasis on socialization placed on them than other breed types.

There are a lot of differences among the breeds in the Toy Group. All of them are small, which is the only factor they have in common. They were bred to be small and friendly pets.

Toy breeds have been around for about 12,000 years. Back then, they were kept as pets by wealthy people. In some cases, like with the Pekingese, only royalty could own them. Today, they are popular because they are able to live in apartments and are sociable. The Shih Tzu, Pug, Pekingese, and Chihuahua are all popular Toy breeds.

The breeds in the Non-Sporting Group don't have anything that sets them apart from each other. This group is made up of breeds that don't belong in any of the other six groups. Many dogs were originally bred to do a certain job, but that job may no longer exist, so they are now kept as pets. Many of the dogs in this group were first bred to be special pets for the wealthy.

Popular Non-Sporting breeds include the Dalmatian, Boston Terrier, Keeshond, and Chow Chow.

The breeds in the Herding Group were made so that they could move livestock. Herding Group dogs are smart, strong, flexible, and quick. They can run and cut quickly for short periods of time. They move livestock in the direction they want by following, barking, and nipping at their charges.

They are often easy to train with a bit of a stubborn streak, especially if they don't get enough exercise. If they aren't given something to do, they will find something to herd, like other pets or kids in the house.

Border Collie, German Shepherd Dog, Australian Shepherd, Sheltie, and Pembroke Welsh Corgi are a few of the popular Herding Group breeds.

People have bred many modern dog breeds to have only certain physical traits. Breeding groups have come up with standards for how each breed should look.

Breeds that used to be bred for their performance are now bred for appearance. Breeders used line-breeding, a type of inbreeding, or used a single sire with the desired traits for many breeding lines because they wanted to make the "perfect" purebred dog. The name for this is "Popular Sire Syndrome."

The good and bad genes of a particular male dog quickly spread to the rest of the breed. This can make the breed more likely to have inherited diseases and other health problems because they have been bred for the same characteristics. Hip dysplasia in large dog breeds offers an excellent example.

The brachycephalic or flat-faced dog breeds, which are very popular, are another example of how breed standards can hurt dogs' health. The most common brachycephalic breeds among households include the English Bulldog, Pug, or French Bulldog.

There are many health problems that these breeds have in common, such as allergies, corneal ulcers, skin fold infections, and Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Due to their narrow airways, these dogs often have trouble controlling their body temperature, which can lead to exercise intolerance and weight gain.

Even though it has been shown that flat-faced breeds have health problems, people still like how they continue to have baby-like features throughout their life. Although these breeds are adorable, continuing to breed them can worsen future generations to come.

Dogs have been by our side for thousands of years, but their journey from wild wolves to beloved companions is fascinating. Scientific evidence suggests that canids, members of the dog family, have existed on Earth for around 30 million years. Today, there are 36 species of canids, including the domesticated dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Among wild dog species, the gray wolf is believed to be the direct ancestor of modern dogs.

The Evolution of Different Breeds

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